Chosen Hearts: Happy Hearts and Sound Souls
by KeybladeWielderVeritas
Summary: Veritas is sent to Death City in order to investigate a series of Heartless related attacks within the town. Meanwhile, Hikari is training with Master Mythos in order to strengthen her newfound abilities. Can she overcome the Darkness in her heart and can Veritas along with some new friends stop the Darkness from corrupting the world or will they all fall to Darkness?
1. Chapter 1: Lending a Hand

**Hey guys, welcome to the new chapter of Chosen Hearts. Just to help some new readers out, this is the 2nd part of the story. The first part is over on my profile so be sure to read that first. Alright, with that out of the way, enjoy the story!**

 **-V**

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
**

 **Lending A Hand**

 **[Veritas]**

I walked down the darkened, cobblestone street lit only by multiple street lamps. The building looked old design wise. They looked like something that you might see in Europe during the 1800's. I also noticed that on top of some of the businesses, there was a skull-like symbol that adorned the top. Upon coming up to a street corner, I noticed a small plaque hanging off the corner of the nearby building that read "Death City" with the same skull symbol as before etched above the name. I crossed my arms and looked at the three ways I could walk down.

"Ugh, dammit Mythos. You drop me off in a city like this without a map of any kind and expect me to find my way around?" I said to myself.

I ultimately decided to go left, hoping I wouldn't get lost in this maze like city. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone got lost. All the buildings looked near identical and the streets were all cobblestone. I felt like I needed to pull a Hansel and Gretel and leave a trail of breadcrumbs or something. I kept my eyes vigilant while I walked too, looking out for ant Heartless. It was the reason Master Mythos sent me to this world anyway. To defeat the Heartless here, seal the Keyhole, oh, and deliver a manilla envelope to someone here. I then stopped in my tracks, reaching inside my hoodie.

"I wonder who I'm giving this to anyway?" I said, pulling the envelope out.

I looked at the name. The name "Lord Death" was etched across the envelope. I re-read it, making sure I read it correctly.

' _Lord Death?' I thought to myself. 'Is he maybe the ruler of this city or something?'_

My thoughts were cut short, however, when gunshots rang through the air. I quickly turned my head towards the direction from where it came from. Quickly pocketing the envelope again, I ran towards the sound, knowing whatever was happening over there wasn't good. I decided to take a short cut and climbed a box neighboring a building and used it as a step in order to get the the building's roof. I ran across the roof, jumping to neighboring buildings to make my way towards the source of the sound. It didn't take long til I got to the source of the gunshots. I looked off the roof to the ground below to see a boy around my age surrounded by a group of Heartless. The boy was using a twin set of pistols in a reverse grip to defend himself. He seemed to be holding his own against the Heartless, attacking them with pink colored energy bullets.

I noticed that with each Heartless he destroyed, another one took his place. He obviously couldn't handle them alone. I needed to jump in. I scanned the Heartless that the boy was facing. I counted 8 in all: 4 Wight Knights, 3 Search Ghosts, and a Gargoyle. I quickly summoned my Keyblade and leapt off the roof. I gripped my Keyblade tight and slammed the blade into the Gargoyle, causing it to be dazed and giving me a chance to get into my battle stance.

"Oh hello, and who are you?" the boy asked, seemingly annoyed.

"I'm Veritas, and don't worry! I can handle this from here." I said.

"...'Kay…" the boy said.

I turned my attention to the Heartless and ran towards them. The Gargoyle flew at me but I rolled under it. I then aimed my Keyblade at it.

"Freeze!" I shouted. A ball of ice then shot out of the Keyblade, colliding with the Gargoyle and vanquishing it, releasing a heart.

I turned to the rest of them and ran forward. I leapt forward and stabbed a Wight Knight. I then uppercut slashed it and slashed left and right before ending it with a Quick Blitz. The other Wight Knights began to surround me, ready to strike.

"Firaga!" I shouted. Three rings of fire surrounded me, striking the three Heartless and knocking them down.

I was about to strike again but familiar pink bullets destroyed them. I turned to see the boy in his battle stance.

"H-Hey! I said I got it." I said.

"Psst, I'm not letting you handle these guys alone." the boy said.

I was upset because I didn't want him to overexert himself. However, I appreciated the gesture of him helping me out. I decided to accept this boy's help and turned my attention to the other Heartless. The three Search Ghosts floated back and forth, their lamps shining towards us. I then ran towards the monsters.

"Fireball!" I shouted, aiming my Keyblade at one of them.

The fireball shot out of the sword, colliding with the Heartless. It stumbled backwards, obviously disoriented. The boy provided backup and shot the Heartless a few times, destroying it and leaving the last two. I ran in between them and raised my Keyblade high.

"Wind!" I shouted, releasing a gust a wind around me that caught and trapped the two Heartless. "Gotcha! Thunder!" I said. A few bolts of lightning came down from the sky, striking the Search Ghosts and vanquishing them.

I looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Luckily, that was the last of the Heartless. I relaxed myself and made my Keyblade disappear. I then turned myself towards the boy, who was dusting himself off.

"Luckily I was here, huh?" I asked.

"Mmm, quite. I appreciate the help. Thank you." the boy said.

"Well you sure don't sound appreciative." a female voice said.

I looked around me only to see no one was around.

"You hear that? Sounded like a girl." I said.

"Yeah, that was from me." the voice said again.

The boy's pistols began to glow and beams shot up into the sky. The beams transformed into two girls that landed next to the black and white haired boy. One had long dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes while the other had shorter blonde hair with light blue eyes. They both wore matching cowgirl-esque outfits that greatly contrasted to what the boy was wearing (an all black outfit). The mere sight of them transforming shocked me.

"W-woah! Y-You were just guns just now? How did you…. What!?" I asked.

"Ahahaha! He looks so confused. " The short haired girl said.

"What's wrong? Haven't you ever seen a demon weapon before?" the taller one asked.

I shook my head. It lead to so many questions that bounced throughout my brain. Does it hurt for them to transform? How do they talk in their weapon form?

"Just who are you anyway?" the boy asked.

"Oh, my name is Veritas. It's nice to meet you." I said.

"My name is Death the Kid. This is Liz and Patty." the boy said.

"Hiya! " Patty said.

"Nice to meet you." Liz said.

"Thank you. Wait you said you're Death the Kid? Like, are you related to Death?" I asked.

"Indeed I am. I am Lord Death's son." Kid said.

"Oh sweet, do you think I can see him? I got this envelope for him." I said.

I took out the manilla envelope and handed it to Kid. He looked it over before handing it back to me.

"Sure, I can take you to see him. You did help us after all." Kid said.

"Oh cool, lead the way." I said.

Kid then stopped me for a second. He looked at my hair with a hand on his chin. He raised his hands towards my hair and began to ruffle it and play with it. It only took a minute before he gave me a thumbs up.

"There. The left side looks exactly like the right side. Absolutely symmetrical and perfect." Kid said before walking away.

I turned to Liz and Patty. Patty was laughing as Liz shook her head.

"Sorry about that. He's kinda a freak." Liz said.

"N-no problem." I said, fixing my head.

I then followed Kid, who seemed to be leading me towards the big giant building in the middle of the city.


	2. Chapter 2: Lord Death

**Chapter 2**

 **Lord Death**

 **[Veritas]**

I followed Kid and his crew to the large structure that stood in the middle of the city. The building had sort of a gothic look to it as it was adorned with giant skulls and spikes as well as giant lit candles sticking out.

' _Hmm, that's interesting.' I thought._

We climbed the steps as I took in the view of the magnificent building. I whistled.

"So what is this place anyway?" I asked, putting my hands behind my head.

"This is the Death Weapon Meister Academy or D.W.M.A. for short." Kid said.

"This is a school? I would've never guessed given the design of it." I said.

"Yeah, pretty extravagant, huh?" Liz said.

"Yes but will you look at it." Kid said stopping in his tracks.

He looked up at the school, putting his arms out. It was as if he was admiring it. I looked up too. It was an interesting looking place, kinda like a church that worshipped skulls.

"Isn't wonderful! Look at how symmetrical it is! Absolute perfection." Kid said.

"I-I see." I said.

We walked inside the building being greeted to large, arching, shiny hallways lit by candles hanging from the walls. It was eerily empty, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Kid led the way to his father's quarters, our footsteps echoing throughout the large hallways.

"So are we the only ones here?" I asked.

"Indeed. All the students are back home. Don't worry, it'll be crowded here tomorrow." Kid replied.

It was a good 5 minutes of walking until we made it to a large door implanted into the wall. It was adorned with a skull and a door knocker. Kid walked up to the door and knocked. The door then slowly opened up, revealing a new area. It looked like a desert with crosses all around. In front of us stood large guillotine like arches. It was… concerning to say the least. Kid then once again led the way with all of us following. After a minute of walking, we finally made it to him. In front of us on a large round platform stood a shadowy figure looking into a mirror of some kind.

' _Is this him… Is this… Lord Death?' I thought._

We all walked up to the platform. As we put our feet on the platform, the shadowy figure turned towards us revealing a goofy looking skull face. It was the same face I've seen all around the city. He was… a lot less intimidating than I was expecting. The figure then lifted up a large, comically foam looking hand, which appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Heya Kid! Wassup?" the figure said.

"Hello Father, I hope all is well." Kid replied.

"I was about to ask you the same. I see you brought a new friend with you." Death said, referring to me.

"Yes I did. He actually saved me from those creatures tonight." Kid explained.

"He did? My my, I'm impressed. What is your name, boy?" Death asked me.

"Um… Veritas, sir. Veritas Keyheart." I said, standing up straight.

"Veritas Keyheart? Oh! You're the boy Nao told me about. How is he by the way?" Death asked.

"... He… isn't with us anymore…" I said, putting my head down. It was still hard to think about it.

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss." Death said.

"I, uh, have something for you." I said, reaching into my pocket.

I pulled out the manilla envelope and handed it to Death. He grabbed it with his large hands and opened it up. If I'm honest, I'm not sure how he could do that with with ease. He then pulled out the papers inside and read over them. As he nodded to himself, I began to think just what were on those papers. After a moment or so, Lord Death put the papers away and turned his attention to me.

"Well everything seems to be in order. Kid, mind giving us a minute alone?" Death requested.

"As you wish. Liz, Patty, let's go." Kid said.

"Riiiiight! " Patty said.

"See you later, Veritas." Liz said, leaving just me and Lord Death alone.

It was quite quiet as I stood next to Lord Death. It felt tense for some reason until Lord Death broke the silence once Kid fully left the room.

"The Heartless have been quite restless lately." Lord Death said.

"I've seen, but I'm here now so you don't need to worry anymore." I said.

"I'm glad to here but even with the Keyblade, you still need to be careful out there. One wrong move and you could become one of those wretched monsters." Death said.

"I understand sir. I'll be careful…. Um Lord Death, I have a question actually. How much about… all of this do you know?" I asked, trying to make sure I don't say anything I shouldn't.

"Oh, I know everything. As headmaster of this school, I know everything about my students." Death said.

"I-I'm sorry. Did you say student?" I asked.

"That's right. Starting today, you'll be starting classes at this school as per request from Nao. He said it'll keep help disguise you within this world." Death explained.

"Ah, dammit Nao. How am I supposed to find the keyhole if I'm stuck in class all day?" I said to myself.

"Cheer up, young boy. I'm sure after a while, you'll come like this school. And you might even meet some new friends along the way." Death said.

"Yeah, but still…" I said.

I really didn't want to go back to school. Not just for the fact that it's school, but I had a mission to complete. I couldn't just sit back at a desk and study knowing innocent people are being attacked. I just couldn't. I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth.

"Now now Veritas, I won't make you just sit in a desk all day. Here at the D.W.M.A. we believe students learn more by doing than reading. So we have missions students can accept." Death said. He took his large hands back out. "They usually are for hunting monsters known as Kishin but with the rise of Heartless lately, we started offering Heartless hunting missions." Death continued.

"K-Kishin? I'm not following." I said.

"Well they're sort of like Heartless but instead of capturing hearts, they capture human souls." Death explained.

"I see. So should I take up a mission now? You know, get started early." I said.

"No no, in fact. I suggest you take a day off." Death said.

"Take the day off?" I said.

"Yes. Think about it, how can you be in top form if you run yourself ragged." Death said.

" **He's right, Master Keyheart. Even Keyblade wielders need a day of rest in order to fight for the light." Cor's voice said.**

"Hmm… Fine. I guess you're right. So what hotels are nearby? Kinda need a bed to sleep in." I asked.

"No need to worry, I had an apartment put together for you when I was first told of you coming." Death said.

"I'm sorry, did you say apartment?" I asked.

"Indeed." Death said, nodding. "There are apartments around town that students rent out and reside in. Usually the students pay for these residents using money they receive by completing missions. However, since you're helping out with our Heartless situation, I've decided to take care of the rent for you."

"Oh, that's very kind of you. Thank you." I said.

"No thank you. Now here." Death said, handing me a piece of paper. "These are the directions to get to your temporary home here. I hope all is well. If you need anything, just ring me on the mirror."

"The mirror? I don't follow." I said.

"42-42-564, whenever you want to knock on Death's door. Just breathe on the mirror and write those numbers and it'll call my magic mirror. Kinda like a phone. Cool, huh?" Death explained.

"Y-yeah. I'll see you later Lord Death." I said, leaving before Death stopped me.

"Hold on. You almost forgot this." Death said, handing me a card with my picture on it. "THis is your student ID. It's only one star so you only have access to the library and level one missions. Anyway good luck and enjoy your day off tomorrow."

"Thanks, I will. Have a good night." I said, waving goodbye. I looked over my ID.

' _How did they get my picture for this.' I thought._

After leaving the school, I followed Death's directions through the city, trying not to get lost as I navigated through the streets. It took maybe 10 minutes or so before I ended up in front of the apartment. I looked up at the large dark grey building with many windows lining it. I walked into the front door to be greeted to a lobby with dark blue walls and dark grey carpet lit up by ceiling lights. I walked up the stairs, climbing all the way to the third floor. I walked down the hallway until I found room number 313. I tried the doorknob but it was locked.

"Should've guessed. Now where's the key?" I said to myself.

I looked all around the door and underneath the doormat in front of it but I couldn't find the keys. I was about to go back and get them from Lord Death but then I got an idea. I reached my hand out and summoned my Keyblade. I took a few steps back and aimed it at the keyhole of the doorknob. Light gathered in the tip and shot out in a beam. Once it hit the keyhole I dematerialized my sword and regripped the doorknob and twisted. Luckily, it was unlocked this time and I was able to enter.

When I entered the apartment, I was greeted to a dark room. I reached around the wall to find a light switch. Once I found it, I flicked it on. When the lights came on, I was able to fully analyze the room. I saw a fully furnished living room with a couch, tv, and everything you'd see in a living room. It even had a stereo speaker system. Attached to the living room was a furnished dining room with a large wooden table with chairs and a china cabinet. Attached to that was a kitchen. I walked through it and opened the cabinets and fridge to see it was fully stocked with food. Going down the hallway I found only 3 rooms: a bathroom and 2 fully furnished bedrooms. I entered one of them and looked around. It had a nice big bed, a desk, and closet filled with hangers for clothes.

I re-entered the living room area and locked the door. I then noticed a small set of keys next to the door hanging on the small hook.

' _There they are.' I thought._

I took the keys and pocket them. I then headed back into the room I was just in, deciding it to officially be my bedroom. I closed the door and sat on the bed, taking off my shoes.

" **So, Master Keyheart, how do you enjoy this world so far?" Cor's voice asked.**

"It's alright. It's unique. Also what did I say before? Call me Veritas." I said.

" **Sorry Master Veritas." Cor's voice said.**

"... Eh, close enough I guess." I said.

I then laid back onto the bed. Surprisingly, it was soft. Like, super soft. Better than any bed I slept in before. I felt like I didn't want to get out of it. Laying in it, I felt my eyelids get really heavy. I resisted at first, but I let the urge to sleep take over my body. I was out within minutes.


	3. Chapter 3: Stroll Through The Town

**Chapter 3**

 **Stroll Through The Town**

 **[Veritas]**

I woke up in my bed sometime in the morning. I rubbed my eyes as I sat up. I let out a large yawn.

"Man… What time is it?" I yawned.

"The time in this world is currently 10:24 a.m." Haru, the A.I. in my wrist gauntlet, said.

"Oh, guess I should get up." I said.

I got out of bed. I stretched my body out as I made my way towards the window. I gripped it and lifted it open and stuck my head through it to gaze at the street below. Unlike last night, the streets were bustling with many people, walking and commuting. The energy of the town shifted to a bright and happy one. I looked up at the sky to only be greeted to a creepy faced sun that happened to pant.

' _Creepy just like that damn moon...' I thought as I sweat dropped._

I decided to take a quick shower before I went to explore the town. I couldn't remember the last time I even took a shower since I started training with Hikari. Maybe a few weeks ago? I didn't know. All I knew was that I needed to take one. I took maybe a 10 minute shower, getting lost in thought often prior to getting out. I got out, towelled off, and grabbed my clothes. I was curious if I needed to wash them so I sniffed them. To my surprise, I smelled cologne. Like, nice smelling cologne. I was honestly extremely confused by this.

"What in the world?" I asked.

"Veritas, have you not noticed that there is a charm on your clothing?" Haru said.

"Charm? What charm? Is it bad?" I asked.

"It's a simple magical charm put upon your clothing. The clothing will be cleansed of all dirt and sweat and grime during the wearer's R.E.M. sleep cycle. However, your body will not be cleaned along with it. Also, I'm detecting a second charm as well. One that helps you blend into the world if needed." Haru explained.

"Blend? I'm not following, sorry." I said.

"The appearing of the clothing will change based on world the wearer is currently in. One example includes your hoodie transforming into a thick jacket in a cold environment." Haru said.

"Wow, but I wonder who put the charm on my clothes? Was it Hikari? I'll have to ask her next time I see her." I said.

I put my clothes back on and looked in the mirror. I straightened out my necklace and left out the apartment. I walked out the building and started walking down the street. I passed by the many people that littered the street. After a few minutes of walking, my stomach growled. I decided to start looking for a restaurant of some sort. Luckily, I didn't stay far from one. I stood outside the building and looked up at the sign. "Deathbucks" it read. Was it a play on Starbucks? Made me wonder if it was basically the same thing. Regardless, I was starving so I decided to enter.

Once inside I was greeted to polished wooden furniture that was on top of a checkerboard floor. It looked pretty similar to a Starbuck in my opinion. As I was taking a look around, I was immediately greeted by a girl dressed in a black skirt and white dress shirt adorned with a blue tie. She has black hair tied in pigtails and indigo eyes.

"Um, h-hello. W-welcome to Deathbucks. How can I help you today?" she asked.

"Yeah, can I get a seat for one please?" I asked.

"Y-yes sir. Right away. Follow me." she said.

The girl then led me to a small table with a menu on it. I sat down in the seat and grabbed the menu. It was a small menu with a limited selection of items. I read over it once or twice before giving the girl my answer.

"I'll take a c-cafe a-au l-la-lait? And a bowl of rice pilaf." I said, struggling to read the coffee drink name.

"Cafe au lait and rice pilaf. Right away." the girl said.

The girl then left to the counter where a large man stood, cleaning glasses. My first impression of this girl was that she was shy. I turned my head to look out the window. I watched the people walking past the restaurant. I began to think about Hikari. I just hoped she was okay during her training. I also hoped that Master Mythos wasn't going too hard on her. My thought was then broken by my waitress who had my food in hand.

"Okay, one cafe au lait and rice pilaf." she said, handing me my drink and my food with a pair of chopsticks.

"Thank you. Um, what's your name? Just in case I need to call you for something." I said.

"Oh, my name? It's Tsugumi. Tsugumi Harudori." she said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Veritas." I said.

Tsugumi bowed and left me. I look at my food. I grabbed my coffee and took a sip out of it. It was pretty good. Being a coffee fan, I love trying new types of coffee. Now left the rice. I gripped the chopsticks, unwrapped them, and snapped them apart. I wasn't very accustomed to them, only using them once when my mom took me to visit her hometown in Japan. I tried my best, messing up at first but I managed to relearn to use them. The rice pilaf was tasty for being a meal in a coffee house. I finished my meal and coffee and called Tsugumi over. She grabbed my dishes and I handed her my card. After paying for my food, I waved goodbye and left, finding myself on the streets again. I crossed my arms and closed my eyes.

' _Where to now? Hmm…' I thought._

Suddenly, I felt something grab at my pocket, which immediately removed me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes and saw a Dusk Nobody squirming and dashing past people, who reacted surprised by its presence. I felt my pants to realize my wallet was stolen.

"That sonavuh! Get back here!" I shouted.

I ran after the Nobody, squeezing past people and pushing them out of my way. The Nobody then turned down an alley. I decided to follow it, summoning my Keyblade. I aimed my sword at the creature.

"Fireball!" I shouted.

A fireball shot out of the tip and headed towards the creature. The Dusk turned its head towards the fireball and wiggled out the way, causing the attack to collide with a wall behind the Nobody, leaving a black imprint on it. The Dusk then wiggled its arms wildly at me, as if it were mocking me.

"Grr, don't mock me dammit!" I shouted.

The Dusk then wiggled and squirmed up a nearby wall and climbed to the roof of it. I followed it, grabbing onto whatever I could and began to scale the wall. After a minute of climbing, I made it to the roof, only to be greeted by a figure. A figure in a black coat. I climbed fully on the roof and got ready to fight, watching the figure and the Dusk. I noticed that the figure was tossing my wallet in the air as if it were a ball.

"Nexus, is that you?" I asked.

"Beep! Wrong answer there, bud." the figure said in a female voice.

The figure removed their hood, revealing a woman in her twenties. She had brown hair and blue eyes. She also had a clip that parted her hair away from her face.

"Hey there, Keyblade Wielder. My name is Alexis, number X of Organization XIII." she said.

"Yeah, and why should I care? You're looking for a fight, right?" I asked.

"Wrong again, Veritas. I'm just observing you, that's all." Alexis asked.

"As if I'll believe that load of crap." I said.

I ran at Alexis, gripping my Keyblade tight. I was about to swing my blade but I was met by a pistol pressed against my temple. I didn't even see her take a weapon out. How'd she do it that fast? Before I could react, she pushed me to the ground.

"Relax, Spunky. I'm telling you the truth. Nothing harmful about watching you." Alexis said.

"Pssht, whatever! I bet the minute I let down my guard you'll put a bullet in my head." I said, getting back up.

"Tck, tck, tck. How rude. Listen, I'd love to talk this out but I got a meeting I gotta get to." Alexis said.

Alexis then sheathed her gun. She then waved goodbye and walked back onto the ledge and fell off.

"Hey! Get back here!" I shouted.

I ran to the edge where Alexis fell off but all I saw was the street below. There was no sign of her anywhere. Where'd she go? She was just here. Did she open up a portal? All these theories ran through my head. I climbed off the building and walked through the alley, hand on my chin.

"Where in the hell did she even run off to? Did she make another portal thingy back to her Organization world? Dammit, I should've ran in after her." I said to myself.

" **I would advise against that, Master Veritas. Going after her alone could only end in failure." Cor's voice said.**

"Yeah, but still." I said.

I got back onto the street when something bumped into me, knocking me out of my thoughts. I looked down and saw a girl on the ground with a bag of groceries next to her that spilled out. She wore a yellow vest with a white shirt underneath with a skirt. She also had blonde hair tied in long pigtails. She rubbed her head.

"Oh geez, I-I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I asked, extending out my hand.

The girl grabbed my hand and I pulled her up to her feet. She dusted herself off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just watch where you're going next time." she said.

"I'm really sorry about that. I was just stuck in my thoughts." I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"I could tell. Just be more careful next time." the girl said.

She went to pick up the groceries she dropped.

"Oh no, I-I got that!" I said.

I knelt down and began placing all the items back into the large paper bag. It looked like all there was was food and snacks. Once I gathered it all up I handed the girl back her groceries.

"There you are. Hope you don't mind a little bit of dirt...heh…" I said.

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that by the way, I was more than capable of doing it myself." the girl said.

"Hey, I'm the one who caused that mess. Besides, helping people is what I do." I said.

"You create messes then help people out of it? Sounds counterproductive." the girl said, sweatdropping.

"I didn't mean it like that I… well… I'm sorry." I said.

The girl cocked her head and looked at me. I completely felt like a goober. The girl then put her hand over her mouth and then began chuckling.

"H-Hey! What's so funny?" I asked.

"You are. You're fine. I forgive you." the girl said.

"Well, that's a relief, thank you." I said.

"Maka." the girl said.

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

"My name, it's Maka. Maka Albarn." the girl said.

"Oh, I'm Veritas Keyheart. Nice to meet you." I said.

"You go to the D.W.M.A.? I've never seen you around here before." Maka said.

"I do but I don't officially start til tomorrow." I said.

"I see. Well I can't to see you there. I gotta go. See you tomorrow, Veritas." Maka said, turning around and walking away.

"Alright, nice to meet you." I said.

I turned the other way and began walking back home.

' _Man, what a day. I hope tomorrow is much quieter than today… I probably just jinxed myself…' I thought._

 **[Soul Eater]**

Maka walked into her shared apartment, closing the door behind her with her foot.

"Soul! I'm home!" Maka shouted.

Maka walked over to the kitchen counter and placed her groceries on top of it. She started unpacking them as Soul walked into the room.

"Sup Maka. Welcome back." Soul said.

Soul grabbed an apple Maka placed on the counter. Soul was about to take a bite out of it before Maka swiped it out of his hand.

"M-Maka! What the hell!" Soul said.

"I'm washing them. They dropped on the ground on the way here." Maka explained.

"Well why the hell did you do that?" Soul asked.

"It's not like I did it on purpose, idiot! It was an accident. There was this boy and he bumped into me. Apparently he starts at the D.W.M.A. tomorrow." Maka said.

"No kidding. Wait til Black Star hears about it." Soul said.

"Soul, no! He seems like a good kid. No fights!" Maka said.

"Fine, but I can't promise anything for Black Star." Soul said.

Maka rolled her eyes and continued washing off her food. She thought about the boy she met earlier today. All she hoped was that he'd fit into the D.W.M.A.

* * *

Hey guys, thanks for reading. Just to let you all know, I'll be using a 3rd person perspective whenever I'm talking from the perspective of characters in that world to make it easier to read and make it so it is not cutting between 4 to 5 different characters at a time. However, I will keep it first person whenever it is from the perspective of a main character of C.H.

Anyway, thank you and till next time, may your heart be your guiding key.

-V


	4. Chapter 4: Black Star

**Chapter 4**

 **Black Star**

 **[Veritas]**

I woke up to the sound of a loud beeping sound. A beeping sound that rang loudly through the air. I groaned as I reached my hand over to the alarm clock that sat on my nightstand. I hit the snooze button but the beeping didn't stop. I continued hitting the button more and more but nothing happened. I then realized where the beeping was originating from. It was coming from my wrist gauntlet. I tapped on the screen, causing the beeping to stop.

"Good morning, Veritas. I hope you slept well." Haru said.

"I was… Wh-why did you start beeping? I'm pretty sure I set an alarm last night." I said, still groggy.

"You did. However, I determined that I should wake you up a half an hour earlier. Giving you efficient rest as well as enough time to get ready." Haru explained.

"Yeah? Well please don't do that again." I said.

I lied back down and turned over to enjoy my 30 minutes worth of sleep I had left. That is when I felt a shock on my wrist, coming from my gauntlet. I sat up and let out a yelp.

"I'm sorry, Veritas. I'm afraid that I can not let you go back to sleep. You thank me later when you're feeling all rested and happy." Haru said.

"You goddamn… Fine! You win…" I said.

I turned my alarm off and got up. I put my hoodie back on and walked out of my room and into the kitchen. I opened up the fridge and took out the leftover stir fry I made last night. I then threw it in the microwave and waited.

"I was surprised you knew how to cook." Haru said.

"Yeah, most people are. It's just something I picked up from my mom when I was a kid and kinda made it a hobby to practice in my freetime." I said.

Once my breakfast finished heating up I ate it over the sink, every so often taking glances out my window to look at the school. Today was the day I begin at the D.W.M.A. I couldn't help but feel nervous. I went through the same school system and saw mostly the same people all through my school career. Now going to a new school in a whole new world, can't help but get the willies.

" **There's no need to be nervous, Master Veritas. Please go forth and give it your all." Cor's voice said.**

"Thanks Cor. I don't know. Maybe I should go for a jog or something. Clear my mind." I said.

I left the apartment and put my hood up. I jogged down the stairs and began my exercise. I trekked through the streets and alleys while thinking about a lot of topics. Luckily, my jog got me more acquainted to the city so hopefully I won't get too lost the next time I decide to go out. After a good while, I got back to my apartment and began to catch my breath.

"Great work Veritas. You managed to burn 300 calories." Haru said.

"Phew. I can feel it. Thanks Haru. Lemme take a shower real quick and head to classes. Must be close to time school starts." I said.

"Unfortunately, the time is 8:13. Classes started at 7. You are approximately one hour and thirteen minutes late." Haru informed me.

"What?! Haru! What the hell! You could've told me! Dammit!" I shouted.

"I apologize. You were exercising and I did not want to bother you." Haru said.

"Well next time, please do. Dammit! I gotta get going." I said.

I then began running towards the school, bumping and rushing past people as I went. I cut through alleys so I could save some time. It took maybe 5 minutes or so before I made it to the steps. I let out a sigh of relief. I then climbed to the top of the stairs. I started walking towards the front door when I heard someone shout.

"So, you finally arrive!" a voice shouted.

I stopped in my tracks and got ready to fight.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" I demanded.

"Get ready! You're about to meet the greatest assassin who ever lived." the voice said.

I looked to where the voice was coming from to see a boy standing on one of the spikes that sprung out of the school. He had blue hair and had what looked like a black outfit on. He jumped down from where he was, shouting "YAHOO!" on the way down. He landed on the ground in front me with a loud pound. I summoned my Keyblade to my hand.

"Alright Mr. Assassin, you come to kill me?" I asked.

"Pfft, as if. I'm just here to kick your ass, that's it." the boy asked.

"Hmm? Why? What I do to you?" I asked.

"Oh nothing, I just show you my power. And then you'll know never to mess with me, the one and only Black Star." the boy said.

"Look pal, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested but I got class to get to." I said.

"I see! So I guess you're just a big ol' chicken then." Black Star taunted.

"Chicken? That's it! I'm gonna put you in your place!" I said, gripping my Keyblade.

"No way! I'll put you in your place!" Black Star said.

Black Star ran at me without hesitation. The tried to hit me with a few punches and kicks but I managed to evade them. I managed to shove him out the way. I tried swinging at him with my Keyblade but to no avail. He dodged each and every one of my attacks. I then managed to shove him away.

"Take this! Freeze!" I shouted.

A ice ball shot out of the Keyblade and flew towards him. He managed to duck in time, making my ice ball slam into the wall, leaving a frozen mark. He then ran at me, making his hand into a claw-like formation. When he got close enough, I quickly pivoted around him. As I did so, I formed a ball of light in my palm.

"Gotcha! Aura Pulse!" I shouted, slamming my hand into his back.

The ball of light grinded into Black Star before propelling him away from me. I landed back on my feet and aimed my Keyblade away from him.

"Now have some of this! Fireball!" I shouted.

A ball of flame flew out of the Keyblade's tip and at Black Star. The self proclaimed assassin managed to avoid my attack by rolling out of the way. As he stood up, I got ready for his next attack. That's when the school's door opened up. From it came a few people. There was a man wearing glasses and a lab coat with a screw lodged into his head, a girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail, a boy with white hair wearing a bandana, and Kid and his gang followed by Maka.

"Huh? What are they doing here?" I said to myself.

I then heard footsteps. I quickly turned to see Black Star sprinting towards me.

"Haha! Hasn't anyone told you never turn away from your enemy! Now you'll feel a taste of my Soul Menace!" he shouted.

He got close to me and lunged his hand at me but I managed to have him catch my Keyblade blade instead. He then let out some sort of powerful electrical energy blast that sent me flying back and landing on my back a few feet away.

' _Damn, remind me not to get hit with that. That's some devastating power.'_ I thought to myself as I was getting up.

" **Master Veritas, would you like to sync souls with Ms. Luna and myself?" Cor's voice asked.**

"Is it okay? Will Luna be alright?" I asked.

" **Mhmm! I should be 100 percent okay. Just be mindful that it does use up a ton of energy.** **"** **Luna's voice said.**

"Alright then, here goes. Soul Sync!" I shouted.

I felt myself be consumed by unseen power. My vision became clearer, noises became 10 times louder, my sense enhanced 10 fold. I gripped my Keyblade tighter, ready to finish this fight.

 **[Soul Eater]**

Maka and her friends stood and watched Black Star and spiky haired boy she just met yesterday battle it out. She was impressed by how the boy seemed to be holding himself against Black Star. Only other person to do that was Kid. As she kept watching the fight, Dr. Stein walked over to her.

"Hey Maka, can I ask you something." he asked.

"Oh sure, Dr. Stein. What's up?" she asked.

"I want you to go ahead and look at his soul very quickly. I just want to confirm something." he asked.

"Oh yeah I can do that, sure." Maka replied.

Maka then closed her eyes and activated her Soul Perception. She already knew what Black Star's soul looked like so she just focused the boy, Veritas' soul. When she did, she was shocked by what she saw. His soul seemed to be slightly larger that normal. It wasn't on the field as Dr. Stein's but it was still on the larger side. What was strange, however, was the two smaller souls that orbited it.

How could this be? Could it be his weapon partners' souls? No, he only has that weird looking sword with him. She tried to rationalize what she saw but she couldn't. Dr. Stein then leaned his head closer to her.

"By the look on your face, you see what I'm seeing. Same goes for you, Kid?" Stein asked.

"He has what look like souls orbiting his." Kid said.

"But how can that be? He doesn't have two weapons. And if he does, where's the other one?" Maka asked.

"Alright then, here goes. Soul Sync!" Veritas shouted.

Maka watched his souls as the smaller set of souls merged with his, causing his soul to become larger. About as large as Stein. Maka couldn't believe her eyes. Just who was this boy? What kind of power does he possess?

 **[Veritas]**

I ran at Black Star, gripping my Keyblade tightly. When I got close I swung horizontally, then vertically, then diagonally but all my attacks failed to land. As my swing lost momentum, Black Star grabbed the blade of my Keyblade.

"Gotcha!" he said.

He pulled me in close, clutching his hand. He pressed his hand into my chest.

"Soul Menace!" he shouted.

An electric shockwave resonated through my body, causing me to be propelled into the sky. I then managed to position myself facing him. I aimed my Keyblade towards him.

"Take this! Ragnarok!" I shouted.

Light energy then gathered in the tip of the Keyblade and fired out in the form of multiple bullets of light. The bullets flew towards Black Star. Though he tried to evade them, they all followed his every move and collided with him, causing a cloud of smoke to envelop the area surrounding Black Star.

"Now it's over! Thunder!" I shouted, raising my Keyblade high.

Sparks staticed out of the tip of the Keyblade as a bolt of lightning came down from the sky, striking the cloud. When it made contact, it caused the smoke to disperse, revealing a staticed up Black Star, obviously wounded. When I landed back on the ground, he stood back up.

"Ha! As if this is over! I'm still gonna win!" Black Star gloated.

"Sure, you keep thinking that." I said.

Black Star then ran towards me. When he got close, I went for a slash but he surprised me. He pivoted around me, getting to my exposed back.

"Get ready to say good night! Black Star Big Wave!" he shouted.

Before it could make contact, I sped up my heart rate, causing my time perception to slow down. During that time, I turned around with my Keyblade raised up. Time reverted back to normal as Black Star's palm slammed into the blade of the Keyblade. By the time he realized what he did, I already jumped back a few steps, giving us some space.

"Hahaha! I'm impressed." Black Star said.

"Yeah, well I'm sorry to say but show's over! I'm ending this!" I shouted.

I ran towards Black Star, determined to win. He was ready for my attack but there was no avoiding this one. This was a secret technique I practiced when Hikari was asleep. I wasn't confident enough to use it in my fight against Zel but this seems like the perfect opportunity to do so. When I got close to him I stopped and held my blade in front of me with two hands.

"With my divine blade, I shall call upon the powers of the light to aid me. Keyheart Style…" I said.

I then darted past Black Star with the speed of light. He stood still for a moment before slashes appeared all on his body.

"...Skysplitter!" I shouted.

Black Star collapsed to the ground, defeated. I raised my Keyblade high in victory.

"The winner of the match is Veritas Keyheart." the man in the coat off to the side said.

The ponytail girl ran over to aid Black Star as did I. I wanted to make sure he wasn't hurt too bad. Luckily he wasn't hurt, just disappointed.

"Dammit! I lost! How could I lose!" he said.

I extended my hand.

"Hey man, cheer up! You put on one hell of a battle." I said with a smile.

He smiled too and took my hand. Once he was up I felt my head become dizzy and my vision start to become fuzzy.

"Hey man, you okay?" Black Star asked.

"Yeah, are you well?" the ponytail girl said.

"Yeah… just… tired…" I said.

I knew it, my Soul Sync power was at its limit. I was about to pass out. I tried not to but I ended up collapsing and blacking out.


	5. Chapter 5: Mission Board

**Chapter 5**

 **Mission Board**

I woke up, opening my eyes slowly. I scanned my environment to see I was in some sort of nurse's office. I sat up and rubbed my head.

"Man, I can't believe I passed out…" I said.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake." a female voice said.

I looked to see a dark skinned woman covered in bandages. She wore a white doctor's coat and carried a clipboard.

"Thanks. Um, where am I?" I asked.

"You are in the school's dispensary. You passed out after your fight. Luckily your friends brought you in here." the woman said.

"Friends?" I asked.

"Yes. It was Maka and Soul who brought you in." the woman said.

' _I'll have to thank them later.' I thought._

I got out of bed and stood up. I stretched out my arms and legs.

"Be sure to take it easy for a minute or two. Don't want you back here so suddenly." the woman said.

"I will. Thank you for taking care of me Miss… Um…" I said, realizing she never told me her name.

"Ms. Naigus. Pleasure." she said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Veritas." I introduced.

"I'm well aware. I do have your chart and all." Naigus said.

"Oh… well I feel dumb now haha." I said.

"It would be best if you headed to class. Here." Naigus said.

Naigus handed me a folded up piece of paper. I unfolded it and examined it. It was a chart with class and faculty names and times on it. It definitely was my class schedule but how did Ms. Naigus end up with it? I could've sworn I put it in my hoodie pocket.

"It seemed to have fallen out of your pocket during your little fight." Naigus said.

"I see. Well thank you for everything. I'll see ya around." I said.

"I sure hope I don't see you around here." Naigus said.

"W-What?" I asked.

"Because I don't want to see you hurt again." she said.

"Ooooh, okay. Gotcha! Well, anyway, bye!" I said to her, leaving the room.

I explored the hallways, trying to find my class. The hallways were very large and had a labyrinthian feel to them. If I wasn't too careful, I probably could end up completely lost. After a good while, I did manage to find my way to my classroom. I opened the door and greeting me was an almost filled class all looking back at me. In the front stood the same man in the doctor's coat I saw outside during me and Black Star's fight.

"Why hello there, glad to see you're well." the man said.

"Oh, um thanks. Is this um…" I said before pulling out my class schedule, trying to remember the teacher's name. "...Mr. Stein's class?"

"Dr. Stein and yes it is. Pleasure to meet you. You must be Veritas. Please, take a seat and try to catch up on the notes from someone." the man said.

"R-Right." I said.

I looked around to find an empty seat. Luckily, I saw that Kid and Maka and the gang were in this class as well. I took an empty seat next to Maka.

"Glad to see you're okay." Maka said.

"Yeah so am I. Oh, by the way, thanks for taking me to the nurse's office. I appreciate it." I said.

"No problem. It's not like I was gonna leave you there." Maka said.

I then felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Black Star.

"Yo Veritas, just remember that next time things'll be different." Black Star said.

"Heh, I doubt it." I said.

"Excuse me. Veritas. Sorry to interrupt your little conversion but I'm kinda teaching here. Mind keeping it quiet?" Dr. Stein said.

"Oh, s-sorry…" I said.

I listened to Dr. Stein, as well as a few other teachers, talk about a range of different topics. I couldn't have been anymore lost. No matter how many times I tried to follow along or even read ahead, I was done. Once all the classes were over, I put my head on the desk. I felt as if my brain was about to explode from all the crazy information that was shoved into my skull.

"You doing okay? How was your first day?" Maka asked me.

"Eh… I'm getting used to it I guess." I said.

"I get you man. I've been here for years and I'm still not used to it haha!" the white haired boy said.

"Y-Yeah. I hope I get used to it." I said, getting up.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Soul." the boy said.

"Veritas, nice to meet you." I said back.

As I stretched out my body, Kid and his group walked up to us.

"I see that you're all chipper. You don't even look like you've even been in a fight." Kid said.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. That nurse really patched me up. I could go for another round." I said.

"If you say that then you should check out the mission board." Liz said.

"Mission board?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's a board where people around the world will put up requests for us students to take out Kishin. It basically helps all of us get one step closer to our dreams." Maka said.

"Your guys' dream?" I asked.

"Mhmm. Almost everyone here needs to collect 99 Kishin eggs and 1 witch soul." Maka explained.

"I see. Can you guys take me to the board. I'm really interested to see what they got to offer." I said.

"Sure thing. Follow me." Maka said.

I followed Maka and Soul through the halls until we made it to this large board with what looked like tiles of some sort on them. They each had some sort of request written on them.

"Here it is." Maka said, pointing to them.

"So can we like pick any of them?" I asked.

"Not exactly. You see the stars on them? Well they correspond to the level of difficulty they present. Your school ID says which missions you're allowed to take. Since you just started, I'm assuming you're only allowed to take 1 star missions." Maka explained.

I took out my ID to confirm what she was saying. She was right. On my ID was a single star planted next to my picture and name.

"Damn. That blows." I said.

"Eh, 1 star missions aren't so bad. We'll even help pick one out." Soul said.

"Mhmm. Let's see… How about that one? The one about the farm?" Maka asked.

"Let's see…" I said, reading the request. It explained how a farmer was having problems on his farm with Kishin.

"Uh, sure. Why not." I said.

We then went to go see Lord Death and tell him about the mission. Maka and Soul wanted to join me since it was my first mission and luckily Lord Death allowed it. After that, Maka, Soul, and I took a train to the town where the farm was located. The ride was fairly pleasant. We were served food, drinks, even got to watch a movie on the trip. I was questioning whether or not we accidentally boarded as luxury class guests. It took only a few hours before we made it to our destination.

We left the train to be greeted to a vast and open farming land filled with crops and livestock. I began to wonder if the farmer owned all this land. It had to be 20 acres of land at least. Maka and Soul began to walk towards the small house that resided beyond the farming field.

"You coming?" Maka asked.

"Uh yeah, I'm right behind you." I replied.

I ran up to the duo. Since the house was still a ways away, I decided to make small talk.

"So how do these missions usually go?" I asked so I could know what to expect.

"Usually we get sent out to deal with Kishin. It's usually just us hunting them down one at a time however, things changed as of late." Maka said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You see, we get to the place ready to kick Kishin ass, but it ends up being like these other monsters." Soul said.

"Other monsters? You mean Heartless?" I asked.

"Is that what they're called? Wait, how do you know what they're called?" Soul asked.

"Oh, umm. Well, that is what we fought at my old school before I transferred here." I said.

"You fought creatures at your old school? Is it a branch of the DWMA?" Maka asked.

"Um, no but it is similar. Oh hey look! The farm! C-Come on, let's go!"" I said.

I then ran towards the farm which was now nearby.

' _Phew, that was close.' I thought._

When we got close, we saw a farmer working on the plot of land. We ran up to him and he greeted us.

"Why hello, you must be the students from the DWMA." the farmer said.

"That's right. Are you the farmer who requested us?" Maka asked.

"Yes. You see, these monsters keeps popping up and destroying my crop as well as attacking my family. Please help…" the farmer explained.

"Sure thing man, so where are they? All I see is a pretty empty field." Soul said.

As he said that, a group of Heartless appeared all over the field. They consisted of Creeper Plants, Powerwilds, Nosy Moles, and Flutterings. I summoned my Keyblade as Soul turned into his weapon form and was grabbed by Maka.

"Guess that answers that. Hey you! Get outta here. We got it from here." I told the farmer.

"Y-you don't have to tell me twice!" the farmer said as he ran back to his house.

I turned back to the Heartless as a Powerwild pounced at me. I leapt back, avoiding the strike, and retaliated with an overhead slash, a stab, and a side slash that knocked it away from me.

"Veritas! You okay?" Maka asked.

"I'm fine! You take the left half and I'll go for the right." I said.

"Roger!" Maka said.

I ran towards a small group of Creeper Plants. They tried spitting seeds at me but I managed to deflect the attack. I ran to the middle of the group and held my Keyblade in front of me.

"Fire!" I shouted. A ring of fire surrounded me and burned the Heartless.

"Stun Impact! Take that!" I shouted raising my blade up. I then stomped on the ground, unleashing a large sphere of energy and vanquishing the Heartless.

I looked back at the 3 Powerwilds that started circling me. I ran at one and slammed my blade down on top of it hard, knocking it to the ground. I aimed my Keyblade at one other one.

"Freeze!" I shouted. A shard of ice shot out of the Keyblade and smashed into the Heartless.

The other Powerwild ran towards me and pounced at me. I then stabbed it in the stomach, stunning it. I then Quick Blitzed it, destroying it. The other Powerwild that was previously on the ground started moving again.

"Oh no you don't! Finishing Leap!" I shouted. I then stabbed the Keyblade into it. "This is it!" I said as the ground exploded, destroying the Heartless.

As I landed back down, the final Powerwild was running at me. I wasn't gonna be able to strike it in time so I raised my Keyblade up in a defense stance. Luckily, before the Heartless attacked me, Maka leapt in and sliced it clean in half, causing it to fade. I lowered my Keyblade and smiled.

"Thanks Maka." I said.

Soul changed back into his normal form.

"What happened to you could take them?" Soul said.

"Oh be quiet." I said.

"Come on, let's go tell the farmer we're done." Maka said.

Soul and I nodded and proceeded to follow Maka back to the farmhouse. Once we met up with the farmer, he congratulated us for helping him out. Soul asked him for a reward but he didn't have much money due to the Heartless kept destroying his crops. However, he did give us something strange. He went into a backroom and came back with what looked like a small treasure chest.

"Found this in my field a couple months back. Tried for the life of me to get the friggin thing open but this sucker must be welded shut with magic or something. I took it to a locksmith and all but nope, nothing. Here, you guys can take it and hopefully you can figure out how to open it. Heck, must be something special inside since it is so hard to open. That shiuld be enough of a reward right?" the farmer explained.

Soul grabbed the chest and started shaking it.

"Wonder what is in here?" he said.

Maka then grabbed it out of his hands and handed it to me.

"Soul, knock it off. Veritas, you look after it. I know you won't try to break it." Maka said.

"Uh, sure." I said.

"No fair, Maka! I wasn't gonna break it." Soul said.

"Maybe not intentionally. Anyway, let's get back to the station. The train will be coming soon." Maka said.

We made our way back to the train and fortunately made it on time. We boarded and took our seats. Soul kept looking at the chest.

"I wonder what is inside." Soul said.

"We will find out soon. We'll just give it to Lord Death. I'm sure if anyone can get it open it is him." Maka said.

"... Or we can just find out now." I said.

I got up and put the chest on the ground. I summoned my Keyblade to my hand. I spun it around and tapped the chest. Once I did the chest shot open. I looked inside and saw an old looking scroll.

"You could've done that earlier." Soul remarked.

"I had to gather enough energy so I could do that. I lost it all when I fought those Heartless." I said, trying to avoid mentioning that I did indeed forget that I could open chests with the Keyblade.

I then reached into the chest and grabbed the scroll and began to look at it. It was very old and tinted yellow from time. It was rolled up and tied up with a red string. I pulled on the string and unrolled the piece of paper. On it was a jumble of symbols that I couldn't make out for the life of me. I flipped it all around but it didn't get any better. I was about to say something but something strange happened. I began to have a vision of a figure with a Keyblade and surrounded by Shadow Heartless. The figure said the phrase "Deep Freeze" and spun in a circle a few times. When he was finished the Heartless was then captured in blocks of ice. The the vision faded as Maka was talking to me.

"Veritas! Are you okay?" she asked.

"H-huh? Yeah." I said.

"You okay? You sort of zoned out there." Maka added.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry." I said.

We then continued to ride the train back to DWMA. What was the scroll? Why did it show me that vision? I decided to wait and ask Mythos about it the next time I got to talk with him.


	6. Chapter 6: The Day Off

**Chapter 6**

 **The Day Off**

After we made it back to Death City, we met up with Death and confirmed that our mission was completed. Death congratulated us and allowed us to go home. Outside the school Maka, Soul, and I said our goodbyes and parted ways since it was evening time. I made it back to my apartment (only after getting lost a few times) and sat down on the couch. I put my hands behind my head and lied down. I decided to rest my eyes for a bit. It didn't take long until that small rest turned into full blown sleep.

I was awaken hours later by knocking at my door. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. The knocking continued as I stood up.

"Yeah yeah I'm coming." I said.

I walked over and opened the door to be greeted to Black Star and Tsubaki on the other side.

"Black Star? Tsubaki? What're you doing here?" I asked while yawning.

"Yo, what are you doing today?" Black Star asked.

"Um, school I guess." I said.

"School? Veritas, we have the day off today." Tsubaki said.

"Wait really?" I asked.

"Yes, it is Sunday." Tsubaki said.

"Man, guess I wasn't keeping track of the days." I said, rubbing my head.

"So, are you busy today?" Black Star asked.

"As far as I know, I'm not." I said.

"Well wanna hang out today?" Black Star asked.

"Oh, yeah sure. No problem. Lemme just get ready. Here, come on in." I said.

Black Star and Tsubaki came inside and I shut the door. I excused myself to go and get ready in the bathroom. Once I was done, I exited the bathroom, adjusting my hoodie. Coming out I found Tsubaki and Black Star in the kitchen eating out of my fridge.

"Man, Veritas, this is great! So delicious!" Black Star said, stuffing his mouth with my stir fry I made the other night.

"B-Black Star! Don't eat other people's food without their permission!" Tsubaki said.

"O-oh, I don't mind Tsubaki. I actually enjoy it when people like my food so it's cool." I said.

Black Star finished his meal with a giant gulp. He put his hands together and thanked me. He then stood up and ushered me out the door. I tried to tell him I needed to get ready but he refused to even acknowledge my requests. Within a few minutes we were out the door and off to wherever we were headed. I questioned on the location of where I was being dragged to but Black Star made it clear he wasn't telling. Kept saying it was a surprise. What was the surprise for me was the fact that this was possibly the first time Black Star kept his mouth shut about something.

After a short walk we made it to a basketball court. There waiting on the court was Soul, Kid, Patty, and Liz who was sitting on the bench on the sidelines reading a magazine.

"Look who finally showed up." Soul said.

"Hey, give me a break. I just woke up man." I said.

"So you ready?" Soul asked.

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"For the basketball game, silly HAHAHA!" Patty said.

"A basketball game? Yeah sure. I'm down." I said.

"Sweet! That means we got even teams." Black Star said.

"Here! A present for you!" Patty said, giving me a snapback hat.

"Oh, uh thanks. I don't usually wear hats so you can have it back." I said.

"Oh please. Just wear it this once." Patty begged.

"Well… okay fine." I said, fitting the hat on my head.

"Okay so now we got our team captains picked, time to pick teams." Soul said.

"Wait who's the captains?" I asked.

"Oh, Black Star and you." Soul said.

"...Wait what!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, you're the one who put on the captain's hat." Black Star said.

"Captain's… Hey Patty! You tricked me!" I shouted as she laughed at me.

"Come on, hurry up! Don't take all day." Soul said.

Black Star and I chose our teams. I got Patty and Kid while Black Star got Soul and Tsubaki. Liz decided to sit out of the game. We played ball and my team tried our best but in the end, we lost bad. By the time we were done the score was 54-16. I fell on my butt and tried to catch my breath. That was when Black Star came up to me laughing hard.

"Wow, I knew I was gonna win but not this much! HAHAHAHA!" he laughed.

"Hey man, I tried. I was never good at basketball." I said.

"Damn dude, by how you played I'm surprised you even managed to dribble a ball." Soul said in a mocking tone.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Now comes the punishment." Black Star said.

"P-Punishment?! Hang on, no one said anything about a punishment!" I said.

"Hey, you should've asked." Black Star said.

"Well how was I supposed to-" I said before I was interrupted.

"Ugh, geez! Are you gonna take your punishment like a man or not?" Black Star said.

I let out a deep sigh. "Fine what is my punishment?" I asked reluctantly.

I thought Black Star was gonna say something like 'Do my homework for a week.' or 'Do my bidding.' but what he said surprised not only me but all our friends as well.

"Give me your Keyblade." he said.

"M-My Keyblade?" I asked.

"Come on Black Star, why do you even need it? Don't you have Tsubaki?" Kid said.

"Yeah but think about it. I'll be an unstoppable assassin both Tsubaki and the Keyblade." he said.

"There's no way Veritas will-" Soul said before I interrupted.

"Sure. Sounds like a deal." I said.

"WHAT!" Everyone but Black Star said.

Black Star held out his hand with a grin across his face. I summoned my Keyblade, spun it around and handed it to him. He excitedly grabbed the hilt and raised it up high.

"HAHAHA! Bow down before the mighty assassin known as Black Star!" he shouted.

Suddenly the Keyblade vanished into light particles before reappearing into my hand. Black Star looked dumb founded and kept looking back from his hands to my Keyblade.

"What the?! How the?!" he asked.

"Oh I forgot to mention. You see, the Keyblade is very picky about who and what can wield it." I explained.

"So you mean to tell me…" Black Star started.

"Haha! Looks like you can kiss your dream about using that Keyblade goodbye Black Star!" Soul laughed.

"What!? Veritas, you tricked me!" Black Star said.

"Like how you tricked me?" I said, spinning my Keyblade before resting it on my shoulder.

We all laughed and I gave Patty her hat back. We all started discussing where we would go to eat when I suddenly felt this feeling of someone watching me. I looked at my surroundings and didn't see anyone suspicious. I then scanned the roofs but to the same outcome.

"Everything alright Veritas?" Tsubaki asked.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." I said, nervously chuckling.

"Well, then come on. I'm starving. Plus we gotta go pick up Maka. I know she'll throw a fit if we forget about her." Soul said.

We started walking towards Soul and Maka's shared apartment. On the way I put my hands behind my head and looked up to the sky. Only one thought really crossed my mind: Hikari. It's been a while since we've went our separate ways.

Currently she was training with Master Mythos at his tower. He was helping her with learning the powers of her new weapons she obtained from her father. I'm surprised she even needed training being that she not only trained me on how to fight but I've never once won a sparring match against her. It made me wonder if she was thinking about me right now too.

 **[Hikari]**

I was huffing and puffing, holding my weapon up in front of me. It was in it's shield form dubbed Unbreaking Guard. I looked at Master Mythos who flicked the ash off of his cigar. He let out a long, deep sigh and looked me in the eyes.

"Hikari, I have to say that you are more skilled than I would've expected. I'll give your father credit for training you well in both offense and defense." Mythos said, taking a drag from his cigar.

"Heh… Wouldn't have been able to train Veritas if I didn't know how to fight now could I?" I quipped.

"Indeed, but there is something bothering me. Why aren't you using that weapon's magic form?" He asked.

Magic form? Why would I even need to use that? A stupid question indeed. I was perfectly capable of using a scythe just like my Dad. I didn't need to use magic.

"Magic? Please, I don't need to use magic. Plus Veritas is way better at using magic than I a-" I said before he cut me off.

"Don't lie to me, Hikari Lionheart. I can sense mana remember? And you have mana pouring out of you. Now cut the crap and tell me why you aren't using your magic." He bluntly said.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about. My magic is we-" I managed to get out before he interrupted me again.

"It's because of your mother, isn't it." He said.

My eyes widened with surprise. "What are you talking about? It's not-" I said before I was interrupted yet again.

"Just with the short time I've been training I can tell you're beyond afraid of using magic. You choose to strike me with a blade even when I leave you plenty of opportunities to attack me with Blizzard or Fireball but you chose not to" Mythos said.

He took a drag off his cigar and blew out a puff of smoke before he spoke again. "Your mother, Dawn, was a powerful Keyblade wielder not just by her strength using the weapon but how powerful her spells were. She could use spell after spell and wouldn't even break a sweat. I swear her mana was limitless… You share that same potential too. So why aren't you using it?" he asked.

"I told you it's weak compared to Ve-" I said.

"Why aren't you using it? Don't lie to me. Why aren't you using it?" he asked.

He kept pestering me with those same phrases over and over, interrupting my explanations and talking over me. I started to get more and more frustrated until I shouted out something I didn't mean to.

"Because it reminds me of her!" I shouted.

I immediately put my hands over my mouth but it was too late. I couldn't take my words back so I might as well tell him why I hate magic. I put my hand on my arm as he flicked his cigar off to the side.

"My mom loved magic. She would come up to me as a kid and teach me all these amazing magic spells she learned. If I had to be honest she was a huge nerd about it all. I remember the day she came home telling me and Dad about joining a magic guild that she always wanted to join. Magic was everything to her." I said, smiling at the memories.

Then my smile faded. "When she… passed I was heartbroken. But I didn't have much time to grieve since only a few days later I met Veritas and went on to train him. The nice witches taught him the basics but when he needed to learn more powerful spells… I always almost broke down. There were times I gave him a spell book to study and I would lock myself away and sob for hours. Hell, everytime Veritas uses a spell my heart breaks a little. I see… her again… her face…" I said, on the verge of tears at this point.

Master Mythos came up to me and patted the top of my head, ruffling my hair in the process.

"Hikari, you know what your mom would say to that? She'd proudly say 'Good!'." He said.

I gave him a confused look before he continued. "Your mother would be beyond ecstatic to hear that. That the one thing she loved reminds you of her. She would be glad she is still in your heart."

"Of course she is. She won't ever leave there." I said.

"Hikari, she would want you to think about her when you use magic but not the depressing thought or memories but for the good. Please… if not for me or her then for Veritas' sake. Use your magic to help him." Mythos said.

I wiped my tears. He was right. Why was I so scared? I knew Mom would've given me hell for acting like this. I then made a resolve to myself. I'd use my magic like she did… to help people… to help Veritas.

"Master Mythos… thank you. I needed to hear that." I said.

"Now that we are all clear, let's get started." He said.

* * *

 **Woah it's been a minute! First off I aint dead just been busy with life. I haven't forgotten about this story and I don't plan on it. Please be patient and I'll try to at least update more often. Til then, I hope you like this chapter. Til next time. -V**


	7. Chapter 7: Soul Resonance

**Chapter 7**

 **Soul Resonance**

I stood at the mission board scanning over the missions. Many were taken by many of the other students. I rubbed the back of my head, cursing myself internally for going out for lunch after school instead of going to get a mission. As I was standing there, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see it was Soul and Maka.

"Oh, hey guys. Looking for a mission?" I asked.

"Duh wouldn't be here otherwise." Soul said.

"Wanna go on a mission together, Veritas?" Maka asked.

"Together? Yeah definitely." I said.

"Sweet, I can finally see you in action." Soul said.

"What do you mean finally? You saw my fight with Black Star!" I shouted.

"I meant against Heartless. Now come on, pick a mission." Soul said.

I looked back at the board, scratching my chin looking at my options. After a few moments I reached up and pointed to a mission plaque.

"How about that one?" I asked.

"Let's see… Large Heartless spotted in a graveyard in the town of Laurenvolt. Sounds decent as missions go." Maka said.

"Only one though? Sounds pathetic." Soul said.

"If they're worried about just one then it's probably nothing to laugh at. You guys ready?" I asked.

Both Soul and Maka nodded and we headed to Lord Death's room to inform him about the mission we were taking on. Once we got the okay, we walked to the train station and bought our tickets. The ride took about an hour or two. We all chit-chatted a bit before our stop arrived. We left the car to see we were at a station in the middle of a forest.

"So where is this town at?" I asked.

"Not far. Soul and I have been there before so we can show you the way." Maka said.

I then followed the pair through the forest. We kept an eye out for Heartless so we wouldn't get ambushed on the way there. I then heard a noise coming from deep in the forest. It sounded like a yelp from an animal.

"You guys hear that?" I asked.

"Yeah I did. Come on!" Maka said.

We all ran in the direction of the noise. It took a minute or too before we found the source of the noise: a lone silver fox. It was caught in a bear trap, trying to free itself with its teeth. I quickly ran to its help.

"Hey there. Hey. It's okay. I'm here to help. Don't worry." I said in a reassuring voice.

I quickly grabbed the trap teeth and pried them apart enough for the little fox to retract its leg. Once it was free, it began to limp away when I stopped it.

"I can help you with that. You want help little fella?" I asked.

The fox looked back and hobbled my way. I knelt down and pulled out a potion and opened it up. I poured it on the wound. A green aura enveloped the fox as its leg began to heal. I then patted the fox on the head.

"There! All better! Who's a good boy?" I asked. The fox then growled.

"Oh! Um… good girl?" I then asked. The fox let out a confirming yip.

"Right! I knew that." I chuckled.

"Come on Veritas. We gotta get going." Soul said.

"Oh, right!" I said getting up.

I started to follow Maka and Soul when I noticed the fox following us.

"Sorry friend, you can't come with us. It's gonna be dangerous and I'd feel devastated if you got hurt. You understand?" I asked.

The fox looked at me and nodded before she ran off. She did look back once. I just waved to her before she took off again. I turned back to Maka and Soul.

"Since when were you an animal whisperer?" Soul asked.

"Oh shut up, come on. Let's get going." I said.

I followed my two friends to the town, which was only a short walk away. Upon arriving, we noticed the town was suspiciously empty. The only sound we heard was some crows in the distance. We took a few more steps into the empty village and looked around. Not a single person in sight, making me nervous. I hoped that the Heartless didn't get to them. I then noticed Maka go up to a nearby house and knock on the door. After a moment or two an older man opened up the door.

"P-Please you must leave. Before it gets you…" he eerily said.

"We're actually here for it, sir. I'm Maka. This is Soul and Veritas and we're from the DWMA." Maka explained.

"You are meisters? I wasn't even sure our request would be answered. Nevermind about that. Please! It's in the cemetery! Help us please!" he begged.

"Don't worry sir. Leave it to us!" I confidently said.

After he thanked us, we left towards the cemetery. Upon arriving we noticed a very large dug out hole in the middle of the plot. I approached it carefully, ready to summon my Keyblade. Suddenly, Shadow Heartless surrounded Maka, Soul and I. Soul transformed into his scythe form and Maka gripped it tight while I summoned my Kingdom Key to my left hand. Just then, black tentacle-like arms emerged from the hole and started grabbing the Shadows and dragging them in. Then blackish-green spiked roots came up and lifted up what I assumed our target was: a chained up coffin with a bulb on top.

"Veritas! What is that?" Maka asked.

"A Leechgrave! Our target!" I shouted, getting ready for a fight.

More tentacles emerged from the ground. I started slashing through them, making my way to the main Heartless. One of the tentacles then grabbed my leg and lifted me up into the air. It tried to throw me away but Maka came by and managed to slice the tentacle away. I fell on my back but luckily she helped me back to my feet.

"Go for the big one! Soul and I got these little guys!" Maka said.

"Right! Thank you!" I said.

I gripped my Keyblade and sprinted towards the Leechgrave. A few more tentacles came flying at me but I managed to roll out of its way which gave Maka the opportunity to slash them away. Once I got close I aimed my Keyblade at the Heartless.

"Fira ball!" I shouted, shooting a larger fireball at the bulb.

The Heartless let out a cry as it collapsed back into the hole. I let out a smirk as I charged it.

"Gotcha now!" I shouted.

I went to jump into the hole to finish the Heartless off but I was punched in the gut by one of its roots, sending me flying right into Maka.

"S-sorry." I said.

"Focus on the fight, will ya?" Maka said, pushing me off of her.

I stood back up and watched as the Leechgrave rose back up from the hole. The bulb then opened its mouth releasing a type of gas towards us. I aimed my Keyblade at the incoming cloud.

"Wind!" I shouted as a gust of air spat out of the blade's tip, dispersing it.

I was about to run to attack the Heartless again when Maka stopped me.

"Wait Veritas. I have a plan. Can you cover me?" she asked.

"Cover you?... Yeah sure! I gotcha!" I said.

Maka nodded and smiled. "Ready Soul?" she asked.

"Always am." Soul responded.

"Let's go! Soul Resonance!" they said in unison.

I felt both their energies increase tremendously. It was… incredible. I saw the teeth of the scythe start glowing a bright white. The sheer power flowing out of Soul was spine-chilling.

' _Who knew they had this much power in reserves…' I thought._

Maka gripped Soul tight. "Witch Hunt!" she shouted.

In the blink of an eye she sped past me as well as the Heartless. She managed to slice right through its roots, causing it to fall down and leaving it twitching on the ground, trying its hardest to get back up.

"Veritas! Now!" she shouted.

"Oh, right!" I said.

I ran towards the downed Heartless. I then aimed my Keyblade at the ground below me.

"Aerora!" I shouted, releasing a big blast of wind from my blade.

I was then shot up into the sky. I flipped around so I was spiralling downwards towards the Heartless. I gripped my Keyblade tight.

"Fire!" I shouted, wrapping myself in fire. "Take this!"

I spiralled right into the Heartless, tearing right through the coffin portion of it. I rolled when I landed and took a few steps back. I watched as the Heartless squirmed and wiggled before it went still. A heart then floated out of it before it dissolved away. I then rested my Keyblade on my shoulder and let out a deep sigh. Maka and Soul came running to me.

"Mission accomplished! Nice job Veritas!" Maka said.

"Thanks, but what the hell happened to you guys?" I asked.

"What're you talking about?" Soul asked.

"That thing you did! Where you like glew bright! God, what was it called? Umm… Soul… something." I said, trying to remember.

"Oh, Soul Resonance." Maka said.

"Yeah! How'd you do that?" I asked.

"It happens when a Meister and their Weapon match soul wavelengths." Maka said.

"Think of it like an electric guitar. The meister is the guitar and their wavelength is a sound. Kinda sucky and quiet alone but with an amp a.k.a their weapon, that guitar gains more power and becomes kickass." Soul explained.

I nodded as I began to somewhat get it. "I kinda see. So in a way you can say that you guys are each other's power, huh?" I asked.

"I guess you can say that." Maka said, smiling.

"Come on you two, we're done here. Let's let the town know that Heartless is dealt with and head home." Soul said, walking away.

"H-Hey! Wait for us!" I shouted, going to catch up to him.

* * *

 **Hey guys, finally got a new chapter up. Just a mini one as I'm starting to build up to something I'm excited to write soon so stay tuned.**

 **-V**


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